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For those who don’t do tripods or want something a little handier, Etsumi has developed a Digital Camera Pouch with built-in stand. The device is available in dark grey or pink, and comes in two models, the S-sized 60 x 25 x 90mm and the M-sized 60 x 32 x 93mm. Pre-order for $31.26 for a September 1 release date. We like that the case is tiny enough that we can sneak it into places that keep discouraging us from taking “unauthorized” pictures, namely aging rock stars who don’t want to be seen on YouTube or Flickr.

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A Massachusetts online company has released the beta Everyscape that takes Google mapping an extra step. When you hit their site, you click on a location and see not only the outside but the inside of tourist attractions, musical venues, museums, etc. Click again and you can get detailed info.

“While Google has focused their technology on building a better map, we wanted to do more and replicate the experience of actually being somewhere,” chief executive Jim Schoonmaker said.

The work is being done by “destination ambassadors” that use specialized equipment to map by the mile. It’s a nice idea that seems like it has a long way to go.

A few weeks ago, the Flip Mino was unleashed, becoming the first Flip Video camcorder that included a rechargeable internal battery. All Flips before that run on standard AA batteries. The Flip Mino is also a bit smaller than the original Flip Video camera, and the Flip Ultra. At a price of $179, it’s fairly decent. It’s certainly convenient, since it’s so light and has such a small footprint. Check out our Flip Mino unboxing gallery to get a look for yourself.

The MII Flashcam is not only for seeking out baddies in the dark. It has a video camera system with night vision and audio recording. The 17-inch cam, made of aircraft aluminum with a polycarbonate lens, is waterproof and will record up to 2 hours of video with audio. The Flashcam has 1GB storage and a 1.5-inch TFT screen for display, unless you want to save it to check it out on PC at CONTROL headquarters. Discreetly contact Northland Security for pricing details.

Call it being green or minimal exercise for your wrist. The Hand-Crank USB Power Charger can recharge cameras, cell phones or any other piece of electronics with USB access. The device, at a size of 2 1/2 x 4 x 1 1/2-inches and a weight of 6 oz., will work with most Motorola, Samsung, Nokia, and LG phones with included adapters. Crank away when you are out of electric range or use the AC adapter when at home. The charger is available for $39.95.

If you’re into High Definition technology, check out the DV520HD from Mustek. It records videos and photos in 1080i high def. This makes it easy to point-and-shoot, hook up to your entertainment system, and easily enjoy. You can now re-live those lovely vacation sunsets on your HDTV. Available this month for $199 USD, which isn’t bad for an ultra-portable high definition camera at the consumer level.

As for the rest of the stats, the device also has a 5.0MP CMOS, 2.5” Swivel LTPS LCD, 2X Digital Zoom, USB 2.0, and 46MB Internal Memory. Yeah, for HD recording, we are thinking you might want to pick up an extra SD card or two.

Even in the age of high-capacity SSD‘s Samsung belives in the hard drive based microdrive. The newly announced A1 features 30GB and 40GB capacities, a 3600rpm rotation speed, 2MB buffer memory, and a greatly increased shock resistance of 650G’s (650 times the gravity of a stationary object on earth).

As for how they managed to cram 40GB of storage onto a 1” platter, well, that just boggles the minds of the editors here at Gear Live. We expect to see a bevy of new handhelds, digital audio players, and cameras with built in storage with room to grow coming in 2008.

Hewlett-Packard has decided to bow out of digital cam territory. They will stop making them and instead use $30 million to fine tune their Print 2.0 service, which makes Web reproduction easier. They are hoping that this move will result in users jumping on the DIY bandwagon. HP apparently could not keep up with its competitors, as its market share in the U.S. dropped from 15% during 2001 and ranking 3rd in the market, to a mere 4% this past June and dropping to 8th place. What does this move tell us? If you see any HP cameras on sale this holiday season at Big Lots, quietly walk away.

The market for point and shoot digital cameras gets crowded. Casio’s Exilim EX-S880 is a standout. The EX-S880 comes in at a diminutive 2.4 x 3.7 x .7 inches and weighs 7 ounces, making it perfect to slip into a pocket or purse for the evening. Despite the small size, the EX-S880 packs 8.1 megapixels, 3x optical zoom and 4x digital zoom, H.264 MPEG 4 video capability, face detection and anti shake technology. Read on to get our full thoughts on the Exilim EX-S880.

Cops in Orange County, New York have been given Pistol Cams so that they can record moments before they shoot the bad guys. Originally designed to videotape animals when hunting, they can be used to show unlawful force and review incidents after the gun is fired. Attached to a gun barrel, the Legend Technologies cam is so precise that it can capture a speeding bullet after it has been shot, cannot be broken into for tampering, and as Captain Dennis Barry of the Sheriff’s Office claims, “ensures the public the police are not overstepping their boundaries.” All this time we figured that’s why Superman stuck around the big cities.